Palm Beach County Resident Pleads Guilty Under the Espionage Act and Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for Accessing and Removing Classified Information from Military Computers

WASHINGTON—Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Wifredo A. Ferrer for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George Piro for the FBI’s Miami Field Office and the members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force announced that a West Palm Beach resident pleaded guilty to willful retention of classified national defense information pursuant to the Espionage Act, one count of computer intrusion pursuant to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and one count of conspiracy to commit naturalization fraud, while employed as a computer systems administrator at a U.S. Military installation in Honduras.

Glenn also conspired with his wife, Khadraa A. Glenn, 28, to commit naturalization fraud for her benefit by fabricating fraudulent documents and submitting false statements and the documents to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Khadraa A. Glenn previously pleaded guilty to naturalization fraud conspiracy and was sentenced on Oct. 7, 2014.

“Christopher Glenn accessed, copied and retained classified information that belonged to the Department of Defense and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force, without authorization,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “Systems administrators occupy a place of unique trust in an organization due to their extensive access to the cyber systems they maintain. With today’s plea, Mr. Glenn is being held accountable for his violation of that trust.”

“Obtaining national defense information when you are not entitled to it is a serious threat to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer. “In committing this crime, Christopher Glenn abused his position of trust. Violations of the espionage act and computer intrusion are unacceptable and we will continue to investigate and seek to hold accountable those who engage in it.”

“The Cold War may be over, but espionage, spies trying to steal our nation’s most valuable secrets are still at it,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro. “More than ever, the FBI remains vigilant to protect critical national secrets and assets. If you are aware of this type of activity, report it immediately to the FBI.”

Glenn is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra, on April 17, 2015.

Assistant Attorney General Carlin would like to thank the investigative efforts of the FBI, U.S. Army’s 470th Military Intelligence Brigade, U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigations Division, the U.S. Southern Command, USCIS, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Homeland Security and the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Christian Ford of the Counterespionage Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo Del Toro of the Southern District of Florida.